Volunteers have stepped up in a tremendous way since the Flood of June 20, 2012. [Our “Spotlight” section is highlighting this.]

Immediately after the flood, we asked you to photo document damage that you were aware of. Many of you responded. Thank you!

NOW:

We are being asked (by FEMA and other agencies) to photo-document AND collect GPS coordinates on our ALL of our streams. We are looking for excessive debris, for washouts, culvert damage, trees in the streams, etc. So far, volunteers have stepped up to do this in 12 of our streams, including the Lester, Amity, Buckingham and Miller Creek.

We can use your help: we have safety vests for you to wear, and if you don’t have the capability to geo-tag with a smart phone, we do have four gps cameras that we can loan out to you.

Simply check out this website: ( http://www.lakesuperiorstreams.org/streams/index.html ) and pick a stream. Then call Judy Gibbs at 218-269-4712 or email at jgibbs@duluthmn.gov to make sure someone else hasn’t already stepped up for that stream. You don’t have to commit to an entire stream; someone else can also be assigned to a section. We also will send you a timekeeping sheet and safety instructions. We will focus first on our 16 designated trout streams. (see more info below)

Lots of folks are stepping up to help with tree inventory! 15 volunteers were at the last training held on Wednesday, July 11! Here’s a link to a video featuring the City of Duluth’s MN GreenCorps person, Shawna MullenEardley. If you want to get involved, call her at 218-730-4311 or smulleneardley@duluthmn.gov.

Mayor Don Ness announced the organizations selected to receive the first Parks Fund Neighborhood Grants. The City made these funds available as part of the Parks Fund to support projects & initiatives which would enhance and improve city parks and recreation. The Neighborhood Grant program is designed to provide direct support for community groups and organizations to add value in our City parks. The City is partnering with the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation which accepted and processed the applications. Proposals were reviewed by a committee with recommendations for funding presented to the Parks Commission then for final approval from the City Council. The grant recipients are:

We are being asked (by FEMA and other agencies) to photo-document AND collect GPS coordinates on our ALL of our streams. We are looking for excessive debris, for washouts, culvert damage, trees in the streams, etc. So far, volunteers have stepped up to do this in 12 of our streams, including the Lester, Amity, Buckingham and Miller Creek.

We can use your help: we have safety vests for you to wear, and if you don’t have the capability to geo-tag with a smart phone, we do have four gps cameras that we can loan out to you.

Simply check out this website: ( http://www.lakesuperiorstreams.org/streams/index.html ) and pick a stream. Then call Judy Gibbs at 218-269-4712 or email at jgibbs@duluthmn.gov to make sure someone else hasn’t already stepped up for that stream. You don’t have to commit to an entire stream; someone else can also be assigned to a section. We also will send you a timekeeping sheet and safety instructions. We will focus first on our 16 designated trout streams.

The Parks & Recreation Division needs volunteers to help out with various projects. To register to volunteer at any these events contact City of Duluth, Volunteer Coordinator, Cheryl Skafte at 218-393-9879 or cskafte@duluthmn.gov. More info about the projects, contact Judy Gibbs, Trails Coordinator at 218-269-4712 or jgibbs@duluthmn.gov.

Flood-Related Trail Work Days The City of Duluth requests volunteer assistance to repair and restore flood-damaged trails. No experience necessary, all ages welcome, tools & equipment provided. Dress for the weather, bring sturdy shoes, water, tools and gloves (if you have them). There WILL be more days added for places like Lincoln Park, Hartley Park and other trail locations. Check back for more opportunities.

Saturday, July 14, 9-12pm and Wednesday, July 18, 4-7pm – Lester Park Work Days! Volunteers needed to help disperse gravel and top soil along the lower flood-damaged Amity hiking and ski trails at Lester Park. Meet near the playground in Lower Lester Park. Bring wheel barrows if you have them.

Trail Building Work Day Do you have some experience with construction and trail building? Check out the opportunity below! No experience is necessary, but folks with carpentry skills particularly needed. Tools & supplies provided; bring your own battery-operated drills or saws, eye protection & gloves (if you have them).

Sunday, July 15, 5-8pm - Stair Building at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve - The City of Duluth seeks volunteers to help construct a set of trail stairs from the Main Overlook down to the lower level viewing area.

Trail Brushing & Weed Whacking The City of Duluth seeks volunteers to help weed whack and brush trails around Duluth. You can help keep our trails well maintained and user-friendly. Tools will be provided; bring own weed whacker and other tools if available. Dress for the weather; bring sturdy shoes, water, eye protection, and gloves.

Tuesday, July 17, 5-8pm - Weed Whacking at Lester Park. Meet at the main parking lot off Lester River Road.

Tuesday, July 24, 5-8pm - Weed Whacking at Hawk Ridge. Meet at the main overlook on Skyline Parkway, about a mile in from Glenwood Street.

Tuesday, July 31, 5-8pm – Weed Whacking at Chester Park. Meet at the main entrance to Chester Bowl.

Buckthorn Brigade The City of Duluth seeks volunteers to help remove buckthorn, an invasive shrub, from our parks. Training & tools will be provided; bring own if available. All ages welcome! Dress for the weather; bring sturdy shoes, water, eye protection, and gloves.

Thursday, July 19, 5-8pm; Thursday, July 26, 5-8pm – Buckthorn Brigade @ Hartley Park. Meet at main parking lot in Hartley Nature Center. There will likely be a short hike to get to the work location.

To register to volunteer at any these events contact City of Duluth, Volunteer Coordinator, Cheryl Skafte at 218-393-9879 or cskafte@duluthmn.gov.

Volunteers are needed at the Miller Creek Disc Golf course on Saturday, July 21 from 9-3PM for a general clean up day. Volunteers are asked to bring weed trimmers or lawn mowers and work gloves. Work will be focused on trimming & cleaning the entire disc golf course, as well as replacing stairs that were wiped out by the flood. Please meet at the parking lot across from Lake Superior College on Arlington Avenue. All ages welcome, no experience necessary. Dress for the weather. For more information contact City of Duluth, David Markman at 320-339-0305.

Public Meeting for Wayfinding Grant. July 19, 6 pm - Hartley Nature Center. The purpose of the hearing is to discuss plans to develop and implement a single wayfinding (directional signs) program for all city parks and trails. More information 218-730-4300.

2 - “Spotlight on the Parks” - Volunteers are Working throughout the Northland on Flood-related Efforts!!

Total Registered Volunteer Hours: 1820.5, Total Un-registered Volunteer Hours: (reported by various organizations, etc) 1859.5 hours. That’s over 3600 hours of service that we are AWARE of! This doesn’t include all of the folks that stepped up to help their neighbors and other folks. We want to recognize some of what volunteers have done in the efforts following the flood!

Neighbor to Neighbor Network – Collaborative effort between United Way of Greater Duluth and the City of Duluth. The numbers below do not include hours of neighbor to neighbor support completed by the affiliated volunteer groups (i.e., Nechama, Headwaters, Baptists, etc.) This effort is on-going and follows the best practices outlined by All Hands Volunteers. All homeowners have signed liability waivers and have registered through the 211 Get Help process. Numbers below reflected documented neighbor to neighbor support to 7/11/12.Total Unduplicated Registered Volunteers: 173; Total Registered Volunteer Hours: 720; Total Registered Number of Sites: 50.

Hartley Nature Center – Volunteers served in Hartley Park on three occasions to reseat the boardwalks and bridges that had been torn apart by the flood and sustained damage. Volunteers: 90, Hours (on three occasions): 290.75 hrs.

Chester Bowl– Working in collaboration with the Chester Bowl Improvement Club, the City of Duluth helped organize volunteers for two evening community work days in the park. Volunteers cleared brush and debris, replanted trees, filled in trenches and dispersed gravel on the Chester trails. Volunteers (on two occasions): 542; Hours: 696.5 hrs.

Other projects have mobilized volunteers to work on flood related damage. A listing of those projects are detailed below. Many people simply turned out when asked or worked on their own and later reported their hours to us. Total hours: 1859.5 hours.

Administrative Volunteers – Over 15 volunteers have been mobilized to provide administrative support at City Hall and the Volunteer Reception Center - estimated 15 volunteers at 5 hours each = 75 hours.

COGGS – Volunteers were mobilized to assess damage to all the multi-use hiking/biking trails and completed preparation work for a race held on July 8. 8 scouting volunteers at 2 hours each = 16 hours; 10 trail work volunteers at 3 hours each = 30 hours. Total: 46 hours.

DWP/Clyde Connector - Volunteers were mobilized to assess damage along entire DWP and then a work day was held to remove some debris. Work day: estimated at 9 people at 2 hours each = 18 hours; assessment: estimated to be 4 people at 8 hours each = 24 hours. Total: 42 hours.

Photographing Streams for FEMA: Volunteers have begun photographing and collecting GPS data of debris and erosion issues in all of our 44 streams. Total hours as of 7/12/12 = 8 hours. More to come as many volunteers are registered.

Other projects are scheduled for volunteers to work on flood related damage. These projects will be in Amity Creek area of Lester Park to fix the hiking trails, in Hartley Park to resurface old Hartley Road, in Congdon Park to resurface hiking trails, in Lincoln Park to resurface hiking trails, in Hawk Ridge to resurface the Amity Creek Trail, and finding a new route for the Superior Hiking Trail in Mission Creek. In addition, volunteers will be utilized to assist with routine things such as brushing and weedwhacking of our trail system, invasive species removal, and other projects. More information will be coming.

July 15, 1-3 pm Summer Archaeology Series sponsored by MN Power. Free. Boulder Lake Environmental Center. (www.boulderlake.org) More info: Sue Mulholland suemulloland@aol.com or 218-624-5489. July 15 - Dan Wendt will be presenting on “The Story in the Stone: Potential Clues to Early Paleoindian Lithic Technology.” Dan has done some knapping to reproduce and explore the Early Paleoindian knapping techniques as described in Stanford & Bradley's book "Across Atlantic Ice" on the potential Solutrean connection to Clovis. Dan has his examples & will illustrate the lithic clues to the earliest technologies.

***July 17, 7pm - The Duluth Area Horse Trail Alliance invites people to view “Every Ride Every Time” at Zeitgeist Arts, 222 E Superior St. The educational video on head injury prevention is a must for all riders, instructors, horse clubs & parents of children who ride. Narrated by William Shatner, this professionally produced, approximately 20 minute, educational video demonstrates the need for Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) protective headgear. Interviews and excellent footage of horses in a wide variety of sports show the benefits of wearing the proper helmet – as well as the unfortunate consequences of riding without one. More info: Irene Apane 218-461-6011.

***July 25, 6:30 am to 6:30 pm - Looking for an exciting way to volunteer for an awesome Duluth cause, have an excuse to sit outside during the workday, or chat with your neighbors? The Healthy Duluth Area Coalition is looking for 60 volunteers to help us with the Hillside bike and pedestrian count! We will be counting and surveying bikers and walkers in various points around the hillside area. It's a great opportunity to volunteer a couple hours, soak up some sun, and talk to your neighbors; all while you do a great thing for Duluth. Sign Up to volunteer for a 2 hour block of time between 6:30am and 6:30pm on July 25th (or July 26th in case of inclementweather). Sign Up to Volunteer Here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7N67X96 Shawna Weaver, Healthy Duluth's Community Transportation Systems Coordinator Shawna.j.weaver@gmail.com